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Taro and Watermelon Bubble Teas

“What is that?” is a common question you hear when drinking bubble tea. Well, it’s flavored, milky iced tea which is consumed through an extra wide straw to accommodate the black “bubbles”, which are little tapioca pearls that are at the bottom of the cup.

That may sound outlandish or ridiculous, but it’s a very popular drink in Asian countries and in many North American cities as well, Halifax just happens to have a limited supply of it. Personally, I love the stuff. The tea is very refreshing, and comes in many different fruit/berry flavors like strawberry, watermelon, mango, peach, etc. as well as other more unique ones like green tea, or taro. All of them share a similar underlying taste, but they do each have a distinct flavour based on the type that you choose.

Sounds good so far, right? Right. Unfortunately, I think where a lot of people take issue with this drink is the tapioca, and particularly their texture. They don’t really have a flavour of their own, but they are a little rubbery and shoot up through the straw very quickly, often taking first time bubble tea drinkers by surprise. Tapioca is a root, and is used in many different things including rice pudding – a staple dessert in any Greek dinner. In the case of bubble tea I would imagine the little tapioca spheres are meant to add to the overall experience and uniqueness of the drink.

A glass of this stuff costs about $5.00 and the place I always go to is aptly named “Bubble Tea Shop”, on the corner of Inglis Street and Victoria Road in the South End. I suggest you go try it out, if for nothing else than to say that you tried something new. Who knows, you might even like it, I definitely do. The owner of the bubble tea shop is very nice and it is very interesting watching him mix the drink, there’s quite a technique to it and he takes it very seriously.

Drinking a Taro Bubble Tea